Questions about the Vestax VMC-185XL

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-- Questions about the Vestax VMC-185XL

Posted by sdevega on Jul-10-2007 18:00:

Questions about the Vestax VMC-185XL

I've been looking at purchasing this mixer from DJDeals for $239...

it looks nice enough...

I was also considering the rackmounted DSM-420 until I tried it out today at Guitarcenter. The 420 sounded nice enough, but I DO NOT WANT effects onboard in this price range, precisely because I want the mixer to do one thing very well rather than 18 things in a slapdash manner. I plan to get an EFX1000 in a few months.

The effects on the 420 were so cheesy godawful... I mean right out of the Reagan administration. I was like hello?!? Um... six ooooooooold school samples? Police sirens? Beyond lame...

So I'm down to this, the seeming sole viable option in this price bracket. What I REALLY crave is a Xone:92, but that's (alas) going to have to wait a year or two. I want a 3-channel (not 4, not 2), budget-range, aesthetically pleasing mixer with sturdy faders that's going to last at least that long.

BTW, I spin old school/acid trance and psy -- so I need a solid quasi-temporary unit for beatmatching with no frills. A one-trick pony. I've never scratched anything but a mosquito bite in my life.

Anyone have any testimonials or advice on this? I am normally an A&H partisan but I've been made to consider something cheaper now that my fiscal situation has changed somewhat. I entertain no illusions that this Vestax might be up to Xone scratch (which Vestax mixer is, I ask myself?), but I ain't buying a Numark or a Stanton, and if I had enough cash to get a Nuo3 or an Empath I'd just spring for a 92 at that point... and I can't; re: Pioneer, I refuse to pay $99999 for the "privilege" of owning a two-channel Pioneer 400 with a sterile sound and weird-ass onboard effects.

Any comments whatsoever will be read carefully and much appreciated.

Posted by SPAWNmaster on Jul-10-2007 20:07:

My girlfriend has that vestax and it's hot shit. the sound is dead on quality (as expected from vestax...). you can rest assured that most vestax products are underrated in my opinion and have great sound. my first mixer was a vmc004...built like a tank and solid sound. you're not going to find something that gives the sound quality of a djm800 or xone 92 (both of which have different but awesome sound quality) in your price range though.

Posted by sdevega on Jul-10-2007 21:21:

thanks, spawnmaster!

i'll take that as a definite yes, then!

ps i surfed into your website... your style of mixing is really energetic, and i really respect what you're doing. i'll be downloading your sets... loving the track on your main site at present. it's got this slick, creep groove that is so aimless and meandering and seductive and anti"progressive" it makes me cackle with glee good luck with your beatmaking and thanks for your views which, now having heard your mixing, i decidedly have heeded. plur~~